A Compelling Encounter
by LysCat
Summary: This is set before the show started. Elena has an encounter with Elijah…that she's subsequently compelled to forget about until her transition.


Title: A Compelling Encounter  
Author: Alysia  
Couple: Elejah  
Summary: Set before the show started. Elena has an encounter with Elijah…that she's subsequently compelled to forget about.  
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters familiar to TVD.  
Author's Note: This is light hearted, and I know that Elena is OOC, but it's before any supernatural stuff happened in her life. She's a teenager and actually gets to act like it. Also, as with the majority of my stories, anything written in italics is meant to be a flashback. I decided to write myself an Elejah story for my birthday, though I'm posting it a day late. I hope you guys enjoy it!

* * *

 _Standing off to the side of the room, Elena Gilbert watched her friend dance with two college aged guys. It wasn't that she was uncomfortable…no, she was. She felt out of her element. Being amongst her friends and the kids she went to school with was one thing. When she was with them, she knew she was at the top of the pecking order._

 _Not only was she a cheerleader, but she was a good one. And Elena knew that she and Caroline were in line to be co-captains when the time came. It also didn't hurt that her boyfriend was the most athletically gifted player to play for Mystic Falls in the last ten years. Together, they ruled the school…or at least their grade._

 _However, they weren't in Mystic Falls. Caroline had somehow convinced her to join her at a frat party at Whitmore College. What had she been thinking? Why hadn't she gracefully bowed out like Bonnie had? They had no business being at a college party. She'd done her best to get into the music, but the first pair of hands that framed her hips during the song had felt wrong. And then the owner of said hands began touching her in a way that she was more than a little uncomfortable with._

 _She wasn't a prude by any means. She and Matt Donovan had been together for almost a year, and she'd given her virginity to him months earlier. They'd learned together, experienced all their firsts together and it had been fun. However, being felt up by her boyfriend and fumbling through sex with a high school boy was different than being felt up by a much more experienced guy and she wasn't comfortable by the thought of a stranger touching her._

" _You look extremely uncomfortable," a voice said, pulling Elena from her thoughts._

 _Pulling her gaze from Caroline's form, Elena turned towards her companion. She'd already had an excuse ready to use so she could beg out of whatever it was he intended on saying, but her words died in her throat._

 _He looked as if he could have waltzed off a magazine cover. Seriously, how was he not in Los Angeles or New York acting or modeling? The suit that he wore, while seemingly out of place for a college frat party, worked well for him. His hair, she noticed was styled in a sort of boyish fashion. It made him appear slightly younger than she suspected he was, but she couldn't help but wonder how it would like cut shorter._

 _Blinking, Elena realized that she hadn't yet responded to him. He didn't comment on the fact that she'd just checked him out from head to toe or that she'd practically choked on her tongue while she did so._

" _And you look like you are too old to be hanging out at a college party," she observed before mentally slapping herself. He seemed amused by her word vomit as he chuckled in response._

 _He arched a single eyebrow. "I'm a TA in the history department. I don't usually attend parties, but something told me throw caution to the wind tonight." She didn't need to know that he'd been following her for the past few weeks._

 _Great. She found an attractive man…a man! What was she supposed to do? He was at least…twenty-two, despite the fact that he looked like he should have graduated college years ago. That meant he was at least six years older than her, give or take a few months. What could he possibly want with her? Why had he seemingly singled her out when there were other, more attractive, slightly older girls present? Eww, was he a pervert? No. He didn't look like a too creepy older guy attempting to hold on to his youth. Though he did seem to be slightly uncomfortable by the party, but then again, so was she…_

" _I know this isn't my usual scene, but I didn't lose your attention already, did I?"_

 _The words once again pulled her from her thoughts. She needed to make sure she didn't zone out again or he'd begin to think she was mental. "I'm sorry, what?"_

 _He smiled politely. "I was just mentioning that I hadn't seen you around before." If he stuck to his story about being a TA, that would make sense, wouldn't it?_

 _And here it comes… She'd mention that she was a high school student, barely seventeen and he'd politely beg off before attaching himself to the next busty college aged girl that caught his fancy. "That's probably because I'm not a student at Whitmore," she admitted quietly._

 _She knew she could have lied, but what would have been the point? Not only was she a bad liar, but she didn't look like the rest of the girls around her. Elena watched for his reaction, and she wasn't disappointed when he offered her a genuine smile. It was almost as if he respected her decision not to lie about her age._

" _Just tell me that you're sixteen or older," he replied in an easy manner, though Elena was able to determine the seriousness behind her words._

 _She nodded once in affirmation. "I don't know why that matters to you though." It wasn't as if they were going to rush upstairs for the nearest bedroom._

 _He chuckled, shaking his head. "It matters because you are first person to capture my interest in a long time and I'd feel less like a pervert if you were the age of consent," he admitted quietly. "I'm Elijah, by the way. Elijah…Mikaelson." He hadn't intended to give her his real last name, but it hadn't even crossed his mind to use 'Smith,' as he usually did when introducing himself to others._

" _Elena Gilbert," she replied easily._

" _Can I top off your drink, Elena?" He asked, taking notice that the red cup in her hand was nearly empty._

" _No thank you," she shook her head. "My friend and I drove from Mystic Falls, and I need to make sure that one of us can drive back."_

" _And where's your friend now?" He asked, as if he didn't already know._

 _He'd been in Mystic Falls for weeks. It was by pure happenstance that he crossed paths with a doppelganger. He certainly hadn't been expecting to see another one, not after Katerina. And he'd found himself unable to leave the quaint, little town. Instead, he took it upon himself to learn everything he could about the young woman before him, and that included her friends and family._

 _Elena gestured to the blonde amidst the sea of dancers. Caroline was still sandwiched between two guys, a drink in hand. And if she had to guess, it had been filled multiple times while she was out on the dance floor._

" _Ah, the dancing queen," Elijah smirked._

 _She giggled, unable to help herself. Caroline certainly wasn't holding anything back. "She's going to regret that tomorrow."_

 _He nodded. "Probably."_

 _A brief silence settled between them. It wasn't uncomfortable, but Elena found herself eager to learn more about her companion. She didn't know why she was so interested, and she knew it wouldn't amount to anything more than a conversation, but she wanted to learn as much as possible about this man. "You must be graduating soon, what's your major?"_

" _History," he answered easily. "It's always fascinated me. And I haven't met very many people that are as well versed in the subject as I am." His eyes searched hers out. She appeared skeptical over his response, didn't say a word. "It doesn't sound interesting, does it?" He asked, pretending to read her expression wrong._

" _I didn't say that," she quickly denied._

" _You didn't have to, you have very expressive eyes," he informed her, smirking at her._

 _Personally, history wasn't her favorite subject. In fact, she wasn't sure which was worse, math or history. They seemed to be neck and neck with one another on that front. "I don't care for it, no. I just don't understand the appeal of wanting to major in it," she finished with an embarrassed smile. "I'm sorry," she quickly apologized._

 _He shook his head. "I understand, it isn't for everyone."_

 _Maybe if she had a history teacher that looked like him, she'd be more inclined to like the subject. When she heard his laughter, she shook her head. "I said that out loud, didn't I?"_

" _Only a little bit."_

 _She worried her bottom lip. "I don't know what's wrong with me, this evening. I've been one giant airhead." It was like she couldn't control herself around him. He was going to bolt any moment, she was sure of it._

 _Elijah opened his mouth to respond, but the sound of an increasingly loud argument pulled his attention. A few feet away from them, he watched two, obviously intoxicated guys trade barbs. When the first punch flew, Elijah knew it wouldn't take much to throw them into Elena's direction and he attempted to save her from being trampled. He pulled her against him and turned their positions so he was closer to the brawling pair. He'd been so concerned with protecting her from the fight, he didn't anticipate being jostled from behind or losing control of his cup._

 _The ice cold liquid sloshed out of the side of his cup, and in an almost convenient and comical (for everyone but her) way landed across her top. Her very white, top. She gasped both in shock as the liquid landed on her, and in embarrassment when she realized that she was wore nothing underneath her shirt. Elena was aware of the crowd around her that either laughed or gasped for her. But her attention was on Elijah, whose eyes were trained on her chest._

 _He hadn't meant to look. It was almost as if he had reverted back to a young man that had seen his first naked breast. Immediately, he averted his eyes, but the image was already ingrained in his memory. He may have held certain affection for those that wore a similar face to hers in the past, but things had never progressed past proper._

" _I am so sorry, Elena," he quickly apologized. He removed his jacket and easily slipped it around her shoulders, covering her now see-through blouse as he began to steer her away from the crowd._

 _She was completely mortified and unable to recall ever feeling something with such the same intensity. She followed Elijah through the crowd, never meeting anyone's gaze, afraid that they'd witnessed her humiliation._

" _Where are you going?" She asked, coming to a complete stop._

 _Her actions didn't deter him. He continued down the hall. "There's a bedroom back here."_

 _Elena immediately shook her head in silent argument. "I was back here looking for a restroom earlier. It's locked." As soon as the words left her mouth, she watched him open the door to the bedroom._

" _It isn't anymore," he said, turning to look at her with a crooked smile on his face._

" _Is this your room?" Elena asked after a pause, following after him. "Was this all some sort of elaborate plan to lure me to your room?"_

" _Yes, because I often enjoy throwing drinks at women," he replied without a pause. "I think you've been watching too many movies that the women's movie channel."_

 _She giggled at the absurdity of her question and then over his response. She supposed that she did. Once a month, Aunt Jenna would come by and they'd binge watch movies, and LMN was not discriminated against in the Gilbert residence._

" _You look as if you belong in one of those movies," Elena observed quietly, sobering up. She still didn't understand why someone that looked like him was wasting his time on her._

 _He cleared his throat and scratched at his eyebrow. "You mean a movie where the guy slips a date rape drug into some poor, unsuspecting girl's cup?" His lips twitched in amusement._

 _Wow, she was on a roll tonight. First, she continued to zone out on him, then a drink is spilled all over her and then she compares him to a villainous character. If that didn't scream 'call me sometime,' she didn't know what did. "Well, you're too cute to be the supportive best friend, or the unassuming nice guy that comes to the rescue."_

" _But if I'm so good looking, why would I have to drug someone to get them into bed?"_

" _Maybe you have family issues that have taken a toll on you and your life?"_

 _He tried to laugh off her words, but the sound was hollow to even his ears. "I think I prefer to be the knight in shining armor."_

 _Tilting her head, she peered at him. "I believe that you could be one." Licking her lips, she looked away from him, the air in the room changing. "I don't know what it is, but…something." Something within her told her that she could trust him._

 _He'd been called many things over the years, but never once had anyone ever referred to him as a knight in shining armor. "I could be your worst nightmare…" he denied in a light voice._

 _She narrowed her gaze on him, not missing the slight hitch in his voice. "No…" Elena shook her head. "You're too beautiful to be a nightmare."_

 _He smirked at her. "I believe that is the second time you've called me attractive within the last five minutes," Elijah observed easily._

 _He'd caught that, had he? She nibbled on her bottom lip. He'd already seen her bare breasts through her wet shirt, why not completely embarrass herself? "We should probably head back out there…" Assuming he let her keep his jacket for a while._

 _If she wished to leave the room, he'd follow her, but he needed to ask. "Have I done something to make you uncomfortable?" Maybe her self-preservation instinct was finally kicking in and she realized that he wasn't who he'd claimed to be…what he'd claimed to be?_

" _No," Elena denied easily. "But I'm finding myself slightly attracted to you and the more time I spend alone with you, the more confused I'm growing."_

" _And you're confused, why?"_

" _Because I can't imagine why you chose to spend your evening with me when there are older and interesting women at this party. Or that in the last twenty minutes; twice, I've wondered what it would be like to kiss you, regardless of the fact that I have a boyfriend."_

" _Would you like me to show you?" Elijah offered before he could help himself. Tatia…Katerina…Elena. He wasn't sure what it was, but he'd always managed to find himself entranced with the Petrova bloodline. He didn't think on the fact that Elena was barely seventeen or that she was unaware of his immortal status. He wanted her, and as far as he was concerned, there was nothing in the way of that._

 _When had he gotten so close to her? "I've never cheated on my boyfriend." And she didn't particularly wish to start that evening. "But if I don't leave this room, then that very well might change. You're going to continue to look at me that way, and if you were to make a move, I don't trust myself not to stop you."_

 _Approaching her, his hands fell to his jacket and he pushed it open; revealing her still see through shirt to him. Locking his eyes with hers, he gently plucked the garment from her shoulders and folded it over the desk chair next to them. He raised his hand and settled it on the left side of her neck. "Like this?" He asked as he bent his head down and placed a kiss on her shoulder. Using his thumb, he began stroking the skin underneath it as he placed another kiss on her skin, this time at the crook of her neck._

 _Her heart began to beat furiously under his touch and she closed her eyes. "What are you doing?"_

" _I thought that would be rather obvious," Elijah hummed against her skin, nuzzling her neck._

" _Please…" she said breathlessly._

 _Was she pleading for him to go on or for him to stop? Until she clarified the meaning behind her word, he'd continued on. Elijah kissed a path up her neck. He felt her pulse jumping under her skin and he smirked against the corner of her mouth. However, before he could fully claim her mouth, the sound of the door being thrown open interrupted them._

" _What the hell?! I locked this door for a reason," the frat brother said, looking from one to the other._

 _Elena's cheeks flamed in embarrassment. Seriously, this night was just…awful. She'd never been more embarrassed than she had been since arriving with Caroline. Nibbling on her bottom lip, she pushed her hair behind her ears. "If you'll excuse me…"_

 _Elijah, up until that point had been glaring at the drunk frat boy with utter hatred. Placing a hand on her arm, he stopped her from leaving the room._

" _Elijah, I need to go. I should never have been in here with you," she denied softly. Guilt swelled within her. She'd cheated on Matt. She was no better than the majority of girls in her school, always looking for the next best thing. So what if they hadn't kissed? If they hadn't been interrupted, they would have. And she certainly hadn't pushed Elijah away from her like she should have._

 _He shook his head. "It isn't that," he denied gently. He reached for his jacket and placed it around her shoulders again._

" _Thank you," she smiled. "But I need to leave…I need to go home," Elena shook her head. "I couldn't possibly take your jacket."_

" _I'll get it back one day," he casually shrugged. Reaching for her hand, he brought it to his lips and placed a kiss on the back of it. "Until next time we meet."_

" _You sound so sure…"_

 _He couldn't stay in Mystic Falls, he wasn't even sure if he could return there. But would keep an eye on her in one way or another. He needed to make sure that Klaus remained ignorant of her existence._

" _I'll see you sooner than you think," Elijah told her._

 _It wasn't until she'd been on the road for ten minutes when she realized that she hadn't exchanged any of her contact information with Elijah. The revelation left her feeling both relieved and slightly disappointed. Elijah was the last thing she needed in her life. He was older, more attractive…and there was something else about him that she couldn't put her finger on. No, she really didn't need that in her life at that point. Juggling school and cheerleading was enough. Plus, there was Matt to consider. Sweet, handsome, polite…dull…Matt. She knew it was unfair of her to think such thoughts, but he was…sweet and loyal…and she realized that she'd just described a dog._

* * *

 _The feel of a hand cupping her face began to pull her from her slumber. She frowned at the feeling, wondering who in the world was attempting to wake her. Jeremy knew better than to wake her, and she'd made sure that Caroline was home and as comfortable as possible before she woke up to her inevitable hangover._

" _Elena."_

 _The musical voice forced her awake. It wasn't familiar, but the sound of his voice was ingrained in her. "Elijah?" No, that couldn't have been right. Why would Elijah be there…unless she was dreaming?_

" _Open your eyes."_

 _The command was soft and she found herself responding to it. Blinking the remaining vestiges of sleep away, she frowned. "Elijah?" Her voice held curiosity. "You're here…"_

" _I am," he said, pulling his hand away from her cheek. Leaning over her, he peered down at her._

" _Why are you here? In my room?" She inquired. "What are you doing in my room…in the middle of the night?"_

" _I needed to see you," he confessed. He didn't elaborate, but the expression on his face spoke volumes._

" _I'm not going to see you after tonight, am I?" There was an air of sadness and finality in the tone of his voice that left her without any doubt. He was going to leave…forget about the confusion she felt when she realized that he knew where she lived._

" _No, you won't." If everything went according to plan, she wouldn't. She wouldn't remember their night together, while Elijah knew it would haunt him for years to come._

 _She nodded slowly to his words, but she was full of questions. "You're going to make me forget, aren't you?"_

 _The words were a near whisper, but he heard them all the same. However, instead of answering, he smirked at her. "What makes you ask that?"_

 _She nibbled on her bottom lip. "You aren't human, are you?" She squinted her eyes, trying to get a better look at him. "I…there's something about you," she confessed as she shook her head in confusion. "I don't know what, but you aren't normal…"_

" _It's the only way to keep you safe."_

 _What was there to be kept safe from? Why would he say such a thing? "Safe from what?"_

" _From those like me." He needed to keep her safe from Klaus, from vampires willing to use her to secure their existence. "From those that would expose you for their own purposes," he tried to smile at her, but it fell flat. "Thank you, Elena. For allowing me the opportunity to spend the evening with you." Bending over her, he trained his eyes on hers. "I hope to cross paths with you again one day." Maybe things would be different then? Elijah proceeded to compel her to forget his face or anything of importance that he shared with her._

The memory jolted her from her thoughts and she gasped. She'd met Elijah before Rose and Trevor had taken her? Why hadn't he said anything? Why had he compelled her to forget it? The last two years didn't leave her with much free time, but she never did forget the night at Whitmore College. She remembered spending the evening with someone, but she could never picture his face, it was always cloudy…as if seeing it through the vestiges of sleep and alcohol…

Reaching for the phone on her nightstand, she searched through her list of contacts. When she located Elijah's name, she eagerly waited for it to connect the call.

"Elena, what can I do for you?"

His velvety voice sounded through the receiver and she blinked. All she'd thought about was calling him, she hadn't anticipated what she would say when he answered…if he answered. Given their past, she had expected it to go to voicemail. Jumping from her bed, she made her way towards her closet. There, nestled in the very back corner was a black suit jacket. The same one that he'd worn that night... She never could find the reason why she had it in the back of her closet, despite the fact that it didn't belong to her father or anyone else in her family. All she'd known was that she couldn't get rid of it. Raising a hand, she ran it down the front of the black material.

"We almost kissed?" She asked, nearly hissing the words. "You…compelled me to forget?"

There was a pregnant pause on the other line. "The only way you could possibly remember that is if-"

"If I transitioned?" She interrupted. "Your sister has a vindictive streak, and I had Damon's blood in my system."

Again, there was a hesitant pause on the other end. "I'll be in Mystic Falls by night fall," he promised before disconnecting the call.

* * *

AN: So I know that it's only a one-shot and I have so much that I'm working on, but I couldn't resist. And I know that Elena is OOC and I know that I didn't follow canon where Elijah is concerned, but again, there was no supernatural in her life at the time. She wasn't forced into maturity yet, and I was thinking that he'd go along with it.


End file.
